Delaware has ranked at or near the top 15 among the 50 states in its jobless rate since the Covid-19 pandemic took hold in March.

Primarily federally funded, the “High Extended Benefits” program kicks in when the state’s unemployment rate averages eight percent or higher for three consecutive months. It offers claimants an additional seven weeks of extended benefits for a total of 20 weeks.

It also extends the Pandemic Unemployment Assistance program for another seven weeks, offering a total of 46 weeks of unemployment insurance benefits to eligible Delawareans.

State Labor Secretary Cerron Cade said, “This expansion of benefits will provide much needed assistance for Delawareans whose eligibility for Extended Benefits was due to expire at the end of September. With the expiration of the Federal Pandemic Unemployment Compensation and the short period during which the FEMA Lost Wage Assistance program is active, this provides seven additional weeks of the safety net for the long-term unemployed. This extension of benefits will help workers for as long as the state remains above the three-month average threshold.”